The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Heating systems that use line voltages of 120 volts or 240 volts are typically switched on or off by a thermostat. Such thermostats may employ electromechanical relays or solid state switches to switch line voltage to the heating element or load. While electromechanical relays offer the advantage of switching with minimum power dissipation when the relay is on, solid state switching devices have the disadvantage that they typically include a voltage drop that results in heat dissipation, where the heat dissipated can adversely affect the thermostat's temperature sensing element. This increased temperature in the sensing element affects the sensor's ability to accurately sense the rise in ambient temperature, and causes the thermostat switch to open and turn off the heating unit before the ambient temperature increases sufficiently to the desired temperature. Such inaccuracy in control could cause the ambient temperature swings within the control space to become excessive because of the sensor differential caused by heat dissipated by the switch.